Is this now the new way of life?

[Wannaflyaway]

Hi, I just wanted to ask those, who are a lot more knowledgeable than me, if, the way life is now, i.e. face masks in enclosed places, social distancing, the constant threat of local/national lockdowns, travel restrictions, quarantining, no theatres, no concerts, no mass gatherings etc. is really the new normal, not just temporarily, but for the long-term?. I think that it actually really is. I also feel that I'm now starting to come to terms with this new normal, which is what I thought I never would, but it isn't a nice feeling. It's a low-level depression and the feeling that I'm just existing, but not living, and that I have fuck-all to either plan for or to look forward to in the future.

Outside, in the town here people seem to be happy and laughing, meeting with babies in the park, drinking in pubs and cafes, local magazine is not full of woe but new starts and beginnings. It does seem very gloomy on here at times compared to how people seem in general.

I guess we're pretty much dependent on a highly effective vaccine to bring us back to anywhere near normal. An effective treatment would help but then people would still be at high risk of getting the disease and there would continually be a high number of people requiring treatment. I suppose if rapid home testing becomes possible this could also essentially see the virus pretty much contained.

If none of these things come about, then I guess some kinds of precautions will remain, but at the same time life will somehow just have to go on with a high number of people getting sick, quite a lot dying and even more being left with severe damage. It seems not enough is known yet about whether any kind of natural immunity would build up, although obviously the news of reinfections isn't good.

I'm hopeful that science is advanced enough these days and there are enough extremely clever people out there to ensure the above scenario won't occur long term though. The progress on vaccines sounds very positive, as does work on treatments and it seems that testing is getting quicker, so I assume that eventually rapid home testing will become a thing.

No it's temporary. A vaccine along with successful treatments will become available. As early as next Spring/Summer we could be out of this. If, as many scientists are saying, these pandemics will happen more frequently, I do hope that we will learn and be better preparede next time around.

@Wannaflyaway

One of my colleagues, who is normally a really positive person, went away on holiday to Scotland lately. When he came back, he was totally deflated. He said the holiday wasn't enjoyable at all, due to the restrictions in place thanks to Covid.

I can confirm that Scotland is pure shite just now.

Moncef Slaoui, chief adviser of Operation Warp Speed in the US says he expects a vaccine will be available before the end of the year, with initial vaccination for the most vulnerable and enough capacity for the entire US population by the middle of 2021.

“I firmly believe that we will have a vaccine available before the end of the year, and it will be available in quantities that can immunize subjects which are at the highest risk." mobile.twitter.com/scotthensley/status/1301583941808394242

(Moncef Slaoui is an immunologist, and previously headed up the vaccine program at GlaxoSmithKline, where he led the development of five major novel vaccines.)

Yesterday, the Spanish Minister of Health said he expected a vaccine by the end of this year.

Dr Fauci also expects a safe and effective vaccine to be available by the end of this year. www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/fauci-predicts-safe-effective-coronavirus-vaccine-end-year-n1239055

EU hopeful that first vaccine doses will come by end of the year:
uk.reuters.com/article/uk-health-coronavirus-eu/eu-hopeful-first-vaccine-doses-will-come-by-end-of-year-idUKKBN25U26T?il=0

I feel quite fortunate, the town I live in seems to have adapted really well. The local theatre set up a large circus-like big top so shows are back up and running. Cinema has good procedures in place although we've not been yet but I'd be happy to. DDs sport has been back for a few months, training isn't as intense as before but atleast were back. Apart from wearing masks everything almost feels back to normal and I'll take 'almost normal' to life stopping and being in lockdown again. I teach though so I think I may feel a little different then as my work day will be very different to before.

It's all fucking ridiculous, did we basically shut the world down for much more deadly pandemics, nope. Polio, smallpox, tb, we carried on with life and work carried on to solve/eradicate. This is totalitarian control.

www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/06/great-reset-launch-prince-charles-guterres-georgieva-burrow/

Sadly I don't think anything is going to be going back to normal.

I don't know. I hate it. I don't want to go anywhere, everything isa stressful, I'm always standing in the wrong place, or I forget my mask. I can't go to any of the places I used to go to chill-the cafe in the park is takeaway cups only and no hot food etc etc . The road pollution is horrific-traffic is worse than ever, with all the people WFH and nipping out in their cars, buses are empty because nobody want to wear a mask.
All my friends in the theatre industry and retail are fucked. Many of my friends in other roles have been made redundant, often they are the older ones. Try being 50 and unemployed right now, fucking terrifying. This can't really go on too much longer, I'm done.
It makes me irrationally angry when people say "oh things are almost back to normal" NO THEY ARE NOT!!

The weather in Scotland had had us fed up in the last few weeks.
That's not unusual for August.
There is a reason package holidays to sunnier countries became popular!

WHO were talking this week about vaccination becoming available middle of next year.

This current situation will ease.

Also, I hate that you can't say "this is utterly shit and some industries will never recover" without being called a corona denier or some shit. I get it, we had a pandemic. But even my elderly, frail relatives are saying I'll take my chances with Covid if this goes on past Xmas.

I expect it to go on past Christmas. But I hope not too long after Spring.

We are taking out chances now really as our kids are back at school and soon college. Plus my DH is no longer WFH.
I'm not going to see elderly parents again until there's a vaccine or we've had it and recovered.

I'm out on our local high street for lunch or takeaway when I can. But yes high street retail is in dire straits.

I'd love to hop on the train into town to go shopping but it's just not attractive to do so. But that had been happening over time anyway: no size availability, trashy looking stock in generic high street shops, everything seemingly made in labour exploiting countries, shops and banks closing branches. The high streets were already dying.

@Wannaflyaway -I don't understand this comment:

I thought I could handle it all for 12-18 months, which was the timeline that was given, at least at the start. Now there doesn't seem to be any mention of this timeline. Now it's looking increasingly like this is it from now on.

There's never been a timeline, no one knows.

@Blakes77

Also, I hate that you can't say "this is utterly shit and some industries will never recover" without being called a corona denier or some shit. I get it, we had a pandemic. But even my elderly, frail relatives are saying I'll take my chances with Covid if this goes on past Xmas.

Totally agree! If you say lockdown/masks/social distancing is shit, someone will pipe up with "all my relatives died from covid, that's what is shit" or "you dont like mask, you really wont like a ventilator" or "if you dont want to social distance you are actively killing grandmas".

Competitive misery and hyperbole doesnt help anyone feel better.

@BlackLetterDay

It's all fucking ridiculous, did we basically shut the world down for much more deadly pandemics, nope. Polio, smallpox, tb, we carried on with life and work carried on to solve/eradicate. This is totalitarian control.

I think the difference is that we have become a more national and global community with much better knowledge of medicine. When the smallpox pandemic occurred, people didnt know what the death rates were in all parts of the country; compare rates to other countries and places; we couldnt test to see who had it or who had already had it and the treatment options were nil. There was no choice but to just get on with life. Lockdown would have made no difference.

These days we have the opportunity to prevent deaths by using the technology and medical advances at our disposal. Lockdown bought us some time to develop better treatments and understanding of the virus and to put a track and trace system in place (albeit a flawed one)

I do think it has gone on too long and some of the decisions and guidelines are absolutely nonsensical, but at the time I think lockdown was not the wrong decision.

This is my fear. There’s been no mention of the next “stage”. I just can’t see how BoJo will suddenly say “that’s it we can go back to normal” when the media throw so much negativity every day still.

I don't think boris johnson can pull anything out of the hat on this.

I have stopped watching the news. I don't think they are setting this agenda though.

More time passes more people relax, already see it now with more people not wearing masks in shops, less social distancing etc.

I went to tescos and genuinely forgot my mask but I wasn't going to drive home and get it when I was only needed 4 things so I quickly went in got what I needed and was out within 10mins.

Come early next yr if things continue as they are things will be much more relaxed ktll be a new year and so long as no second wave comes back I can see many more people relaxing

No. People won't put up with it forever. I agree the media has made the whole thing so much worse than it is and constantly presents the negative..its been rubbish. It still is.

Christ, what a depressing thread. When I read threads like this I totally understand how the 'dementors' thing came about!

I really miss going to my football matches, been a season ticket holder for years. It is not the same without the fans there
It is depressing when all the joy has been taken away from life, the only pleasurable thing is going for a walk because you don’t have to wear a bloody mask.

@BlackLetterDay

It's all fucking ridiculous, did we basically shut the world down for much more deadly pandemics, nope. Polio, smallpox, tb, we carried on with life and work carried on to solve/eradicate. This is totalitarian control.

But were those diseases AS contagious as this one?

I really miss football matches too! And theatre and gigs.

Together with our improved understanding of pandemic disease processes, there is also a heightened awareness on the part of trading partners and tourists, with whom we want to do business. We can't behave the way we want to in the world of business if we are an infection-ridden pariah, and no one will want to come from overseas and stay in our hotels, eat out in our restaurants or study in our universities.

I am sure that if we could have carried on business as normal, even if the juggernaut had been heaving over the expiring corpses of infected office workers, our Government would have carried on regardless.

Covid is actually not good for business, funny enough, cos no one else wants it either.

I predict much more car traffic this winter than last winter. People trying to get places but stay away from public transport. That kind of habit (not using public transport as much as you used to) can easily turn long term. The public transport companies are also in financial crisis right now, so service provision may be cut sharply.

Building use in city/town centres is going to accelerate away from retail and towards more personal services & housing. There will be more out of town shopping centres that persist & need to reach these will also increase road traffic. However, some local small businesses will do quite well, those that sell basics like butcher or green grocer, as some people perceive these local places as 'safer' than big supermarkets.

Universities are struggling to figure out how they will have space for the school leavers of 2021 given they had to make so much space for the deferring school leavers of 2020. Kids in 2021 may not have exams either; may end up deferring or given Teacher grade estimates.
This roll on effect on Uni places will take years to iron the kink out.

"If, as many scientists are saying, these pandemics will happen more frequently" then we often will cycle in and out of control measures like we've had in 2020 and so the New Normal will come to seem more long term Normal.